Episodes

  • 241 | Want to Build a Deeper Connection With Your Dog? Stop Telling Them to “Look at Me”

    241 | Want to Build a Deeper Connection With Your Dog? Stop Telling Them to “Look at Me”
    Sep 21 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾Your dog notices another dog coming down the road.Their ears go up.Their body changes.They’re looking at that dog because, for whatever reason, that dog matters to them.And what do we so often do?“Look at me.”“Look at me.”“LOOK AT ME.”But why?Your dog knows the other dog is there.You know the other dog is there.Everybody knows the other dog is there.So why are we trying so hard to get our dogs to stop paying attention to the world and pay attention to us?What if we did something completely different?What if we looked too?In this episode, we’re talking about what connection with your dog actually looks like and why I think we’ve gotten part of it a little bit backwards.Because connection can’t just be about getting your dog to pay attention to you.Connection also requires you to pay attention to your dog.We’ll talk about:🐾 Why I question our obsession with teaching dogs to “look at me” when something important is happening🐾 What your dog may actually be communicating when they stop, stare, listen, or notice something in their environment🐾 Why acknowledging what your dog sees doesn’t mean letting them make every decision🐾 The difference between distracting your dog from something and experiencing it with them🐾 Why being heard isn’t the same thing as getting your way🐾 How simply saying, “Yep, I see it too,” can change the conversation between you and your dog🐾 Why connection isn’t necessarily constant eye contact, a perfect heel, or a dog who is always focused on you🐾 How those tiny moments when you and your dog notice the same sound, sight, or experience can build connection🐾 Why caring about what matters to your dog can make you more relevant when you need your dog to care about what matters to youBecause maybe we’ve made connection a little too one-sided.Come into my world.Look at me.Listen to me.Walk with me.Care about what I care about.Ignore what I tell you to ignore.But what happens when we occasionally turn that around and say:Show me yours.The next time your dog suddenly stops and looks at something, try looking too.What did they notice?What changed?What are they experiencing?You don’t have to fix it.You don’t have to turn it into a training exercise.And you don’t necessarily have to let your dog do what they want to do next.Just get curious.Because maybe building a deeper connection with your dog isn’t about getting them to pay more attention to you.Maybe sometimes it starts when you pay more attention to them.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp!BeyondObedience.ca/bootcamp🐾 Take the Quiz!Beyond Obedience Dogonality Quiz🐾 Read the Blog!Beyond Obedience BlogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → Beyond Obedience PodcastConnect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook CommunityResources → Dogonality QuizMerch → Beyond Obedience Store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.Join Living Beyond ObedienceStep 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 Take the Dogonality QuizStep 3: Ready to stop guessing what to do when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely free CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, October 20th, 21st and 22nd.👉 Save Your Spot for CALM DOWN, DOG!Music Credit 🎶: Shawn TrotterShawn Trotter
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    24 mins
  • 240 | Your Dog Knows the Command. That’s Not the Problem.

    240 | Your Dog Knows the Command. That’s Not the Problem.
    Sep 17 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾Come.Stay.Leave it.Off.Down.Let’s go.No.We humans are incredibly verbal.And somewhere along the way, we seem to have decided that because our dogs live with us, they must also be fluent in English.So when we say “come” and our dog doesn’t come, what do we do?We say it again.Usually louder.“COME!”As though the problem is that they didn’t hear the English the first time.Sometimes dog training looks an awful lot like shouting English as a second language at your dog.And then comes the sentence I hear all the time:“But my dog KNOWS come.”Okay.Maybe they do.But do they know what “come” means here?And even if they do, is the word really the entire conversation?In this episode, we’re talking about what we’re actually communicating to our dogs, what they’re paying attention to besides our words, and why knowing a command might not be the problem at all.We’ll talk about:🐾 What we really mean when we say “My dog knows this”🐾 Why knowing a command in one situation doesn’t necessarily mean your dog understands it everywhere🐾 Why we put so much responsibility on a single word like “come”🐾 Everything your dog is paying attention to besides what’s coming out of your mouth🐾 How movement, body language, spatial pressure, intention, and your history together are all part of the conversation🐾 What happens when your body and your mouth are saying two completely different things🐾 Why your dog may need a reason to choose you, not just a command telling them to🐾 How your relevance and relationship with your dog influence whether they follow your guidance🐾 Why relationship-based communication doesn’t mean we stop teaching or using cues🐾 The question I want you to ask instead of “What command should I use?”Because I absolutely use words with my dogs.I teach cues.Recall matters.Skills matter.But the word isn’t carrying the entire conversation.Your dog is also learning what you mean.Your movement.Your body.Your patterns.Your intentions.Your history together.Your relationship.So the next time you find yourself thinking:“My dog knows this. Why aren’t they listening?”Get curious.What are you actually communicating?What does your dog understand in this situation?And instead of immediately asking:“What command should I use?”Try asking:“What am I trying to communicate?”Because once you know the answer to that, the word becomes just one of the many ways you can say it.And maybe we can finally stop shouting English as a second language at our dogs.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    23 mins
  • 239 | The Goal Was Never a Well-Trained Dog

    239 | The Goal Was Never a Well-Trained Dog
    Sep 14 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾What did you actually want when you brought your dog home?Probably a dog you could do life with.A dog you could walk with.Take places.Go on adventures with.Hang out with.A dog you enjoyed being around and who enjoyed being around you.And yes, you probably wanted them to listen to you. You wanted a good recall. Some basic manners. Because nobody wants to live with an absolute hooligan.But somewhere along the way, we started confusing training the dog with the actual goal.Sit.Stay.Come.Heel.Leave it.Place.Don’t jump.Don’t bark.Don’t pull.And suddenly, we’re measuring success by how well our dog performs the things we’ve taught them.But was that ever really the point?In this episode, we’re talking about why a well-trained dog and a dog who can successfully navigate the world aren’t necessarily the same thing, and what we might start paying attention to if obedience isn’t the ultimate goal.We’ll talk about:🐾 Why being well trained and being confident aren’t necessarily the same thing🐾 How a dog can perform beautifully and still feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or unsure🐾 Why compliance doesn’t tell us the whole story about what’s happening underneath the behaviour🐾 The difference between “I know how to do this” and “I believe I can handle this”🐾 Why I don’t want my dogs to need me for every answer🐾 How we move from “You’ve got me” to “I’ve got this”🐾 Why skills, boundaries, recall, and dog training still absolutely matter🐾 What we could start celebrating if obedience wasn’t our only measure of success🐾 Why training is a tool for helping our dogs navigate the human world, not the destinationBecause ultimately, I want something bigger than a dog who knows how to perform everything I’ve taught them.I want a dog who knows how to live successfully in the human world without losing who they are in the process.I want communication.Trust.Confidence.Skills.Boundaries.Freedom where freedom is appropriate.Guidance where guidance is needed.And a relationship strong enough to hold all of it.The name of this business is Beyond Obedience for a reason.Obedience isn’t bad.Training isn’t bad.But I don’t want my dog’s greatest accomplishment to be that they’re easy for humans to live with.I want the dog who once needed:“You’ve got me.”to eventually be able to say:“I’ve got this.”So train your dog.Teach them skills.Give them boundaries.But remember what all of that is supposed to serve.Training is a tool.It was never the goal.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    28 mins
  • 238 | Your Dog Said No. Now What?

    238 | Your Dog Said No. Now What?
    Sep 10 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾Your dog says no.Maybe they pull their paw away when you try to trim their nails.Maybe they move away when you reach toward them.Maybe they’re very clearly communicating:“I don’t want you to do this.”So... now what?Because I think we’ve created two extremes when it comes to listening to our dogs.On one side:“I’m the human. You’re the dog. We’re doing this whether you like it or not.”And on the other:“My dog said no, so I have to stop.”But healthy relationships aren’t quite that simple.Sometimes your dog is going to say:“Please don’t.”And sometimes you’re going to have to say:“I hear you. I know you don’t want me to do this. And I still need to do it.”In this episode, we’re talking about what it actually means to listen to your dog, respect their communication, and still make the decisions you sometimes need to make for their health, safety, and wellbeing.We’ll talk about:🐾 Why listening to your dog doesn’t mean they always get the answer they want🐾 The difference between being heard and getting your way🐾 Why your dog’s “no” might change the decision, how you do it, or when you do it🐾 What happens when something like nail care, grooming, medication, or veterinary care simply needs to happen🐾 Why HOW you do something matters just as much as what you do🐾 The difference between helping your dog through something and fighting them through it🐾 How much trust it takes for your dog to let you make a decision they disagree with🐾 Why one difficult interaction doesn’t mean you’ve damaged your relationshipBecause respecting your dog’s communication doesn’t mean:“If my dog says no, nothing they dislike can ever happen.”It means their communication matters.You hear them.You stay in the conversation.You adjust when you can.And when the answer still has to be no, you remain someone they can trust through it.So maybe the question isn’t simply:“Did I respect my dog’s no?”Maybe it’s:“What did my dog learn about me when I had to override it?”Because trust isn’t built by never doing something your dog doesn’t want.It’s built, in part, by how you show up when you have to.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    32 mins
  • 237 | Why Training Isn’t Where to Start With a Fearful Dog

    237 | Why Training Isn’t Where to Start With a Fearful Dog
    Sep 7 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾If you have a fearful dog, chances are you've been told you need to build their confidence.More training. More exposure. More experiences. More opportunities to successfully accomplish things.Because training builds confidence, right?Well... maybe.But when I'm working with a fearful dog, confidence actually isn't where I start.Because before I want your dog to believe:“I've got this.”I want them to believe:“You've got me.”And that changes where we begin.Instead of focusing immediately on changing the dog, I focus on building trust between the dog and the person standing beside them.The progression I teach inside the Fearless Framework is simple:Trust you.Trust the situations you put them in.Trust themselves.And that last piece?That's where confidence comes from.In this episode, we're talking about why confidence may actually be the LAST thing we build with a fearful dog and why the relationship comes first.We'll talk about:🐾 Why I don't start by trying to make a fearful dog more confident 🐾 Whether dog training really does “build confidence” 🐾 The difference between being confident at doing things and feeling confident navigating the world 🐾 Why trust in YOU comes before trust in themselves 🐾 How your dog learns to trust the situations you put them in 🐾 What it means for your dog to “borrow” your confidence 🐾 Why successful experiences eventually allow your dog to need you less 🐾 How trust becomes the bridge to independenceBecause confidence isn't necessarily the thing we're working on.We're building trust. We're building communication. We're creating experiences that show your dog they can successfully navigate the world with you.And eventually...“You've got me” becomes “I've got this.”That's where confidence comes from.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Why is my dog behaving that way?? Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    26 mins
  • 236 | Are You Training Your Dog… or Just Performing Dog Training?

    236 | Are You Training Your Dog… or Just Performing Dog Training?
    Sep 3 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾Have you ever learned a dog training technique, tried it with your dog exactly the way you were taught...and it didn't work?Maybe the problem isn't the technique.Maybe somewhere along the way, we've become so focused on doing dog training correctly that we've forgotten to pay attention to the dog standing in front of us.Where should my hands be?When do I say the word?When do I reward?What am I supposed to do next?And while we're busy trying to remember all the steps, our dog may be communicating an enormous amount of information that we're completely missing.So here's a question worth asking:Are you actually communicating with your dog... or are you performing dog training?In this episode, we're talking about what happens when we become so focused on techniques, protocols and doing things “right” that we lose the conversation we're supposed to be having with our dogs.We'll talk about:🐾 What I mean by “performing dog training” 🐾 Why doing all the right steps doesn't necessarily mean you're communicating 🐾 How easy it is to become focused on the technique instead of the dog 🐾 Why understanding the WHY behind an exercise matters more than simply following the steps 🐾 How going through the motions can completely change the meaning of an interaction 🐾 Why protocols should help you understand the conversation, not replace it 🐾 What your dog may be communicating while you're busy trying to do everything correctly 🐾 Why good dog training may eventually start looking a whole lot less like dog trainingBecause I don't want you memorizing what I would do.I want you to understand why you're doing it.The goal isn't for you to spend the rest of your dog's life wondering:“What would Tracy do?”It's for you to understand your dog well enough to know:“What does my dog need from me right now?”That's the difference between performing a technique and actually participating in the conversation.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Why is my dog behaving that way?? Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    24 mins
  • 235 | Stop Telling Your Dog “No” Until You’ve Done This

    235 | Stop Telling Your Dog “No” Until You’ve Done This
    Aug 31 2026
    Hey Dog Lover 🐾How often do you find yourself telling your dog:“No barking.”“No.”“Stop.”“Enough.”And then getting frustrated when they keep doing exactly what you just told them not to do?Here’s the question I want you to ask:Before you told your dog “no,” did you actually tell them what you wanted them to do instead?This came up during one of our recent Fearless Framework coaching calls, and it sparked a really interesting conversation about what communication with our dogs actually looks like.Because when your dog suddenly starts barking, they’re responding to something.They heard something. They saw something. They smelled something.And just because you don’t see anything doesn’t mean there’s nothing there.So rather than immediately trying to shut down the behaviour, what happens if we first acknowledge what our dog is telling us and then give them some direction about what we’d like them to do next?In this episode, we’re talking about why “no” means very little without communication and how to turn those frustrating moments into an actual conversation with your dog.We'll talk about:🐾 Why “no” by itself doesn’t tell your dog what you want them to do 🐾 Why your dog may be completely right when they alert you to something you can’t see 🐾 The difference between acknowledging your dog and agreeing that something is a problem 🐾 Why saying “thank you” isn’t simply another technique for stopping barking 🐾 What needs to happen before “no” becomes meaningful 🐾 Why you need to ask for something your dog already understands 🐾 The difference between correcting behaviour and having a conversation 🐾 How clear communication can change the way you respond when your dog gets something wrongBecause communication isn't just about telling your dog what not to do.It's about listening to what they're telling you and then helping them understand what you want them to do next.So before you tell your dog:“No.”Ask yourself:“Have I actually told them what I want instead?”That’s when it becomes a conversation.Hope you enjoy this one!Tracy xoxoxRESOURCES🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless🐾 Take the Quiz!https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz🐾 Read the Blog!https://beyondobedience.ca/blogCONNECT WITH ME!Contact → info@beyondobedience.caPodcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcastConnect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceResources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizMerch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedienceStep 2: Why is my dog behaving that way?? Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quizStep 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearlessMusic Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotterwww.shawntrotter.com
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    22 mins
  • 234 | Why Should Your Dog Trust Your Decisions? What Leadership Actually Means

    234 | Why Should Your Dog Trust Your Decisions? What Leadership Actually Means
    Aug 27 2026

    Hey Dog Lover 🐾

    We ask our dogs to trust our decisions all the time.

    Come with me.

    Leave that.

    Don’t go over there.

    Walk past this dog.

    Stay here.

    I’ve got it.

    But have you ever stopped to ask:

    Why should they?

    Not because we’re the human. Not because we own them. And not simply because we’re holding the leash.

    In this episode, we’re talking about Leadership, the final piece of my Foundation of Relationship.

    And not leadership as dominance, control, or “because I said so.”

    Leadership as something built through a history of experiences that gives your dog a reason to believe your decisions are worth following.

    We’ll talk about:

    🐾 Why you don’t get to simply declare yourself your dog’s leader
    🐾 How dogs build trust through their everyday experiences with us
    🐾 Why healthy relationships include both agreement AND disagreement
    🐾 How saying yes to your dog can give more meaning to your no
    🐾 What “he who moves whose feet” can teach us about influence and awareness
    🐾 The importance of pausing before automatically responding to your dog
    🐾 Why leadership is about controlling yourself and influencing your dog, not controlling your dog
    🐾 Why getting a decision wrong doesn’t mean you’ve failed your dog
    🐾 How Leadership, Relevance, and Fulfillment work together to build a stronger relationship

    Because leadership isn’t:

    “My dog has to follow me.”

    It’s becoming:

    Someone worth following.

    So instead of asking:

    “How do I get my dog to follow me?”

    Maybe the better question is:

    “Who do I need to become so that following me makes sense?”

    Hope you enjoy this one!

    Tracy xoxox

    RESOURCES

    🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
    https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless

    🐾 Take the Quiz!
    https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz

    🐾 Read the Blog!
    https://beyondobedience.ca/blog

    CONNECT WITH ME!

    Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
    Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
    Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
    Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
    Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store

    🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣

    Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.

    Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.

    👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz

    Step 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework.

    👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless

    Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
    www.shawntrotter.com
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    19 mins